MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[Dark Knight]

Does the Olivet game scare any other Calvin fans?

After an emotional, "draining" victory over Hope, there's potential for let-down. The knights might also be looking ahead to Albion.

Add to that the fact that the knights defeated Olivet by 2 last time around, at home....I hope they give this game the same kind of effort they gave in the last.

P.S. thanks for the thought over in the Pick-Em room SAC. 

[ziggy]

Does the Olivet game scare any other Calvin fans?

After an emotional, "draining" victory over Hope, there's potential for let-down. The knights might also be looking ahead to Albion.

Add to that the fact that the knights defeated Olivet by 2 last time around, at home....I hope they give this game the same kind of effort they gave in the last.

P.S. thanks for the thought over in the Pick-Em room SAC. 

It would scare me but I really like how this team has responded to situations, both in game and from game to game.  I think of this one like the game at Kzoo, which turned out fine.  Kzoo is a better team than Olivet so I'm guessing the Hope game (and being in first by themselves) will motivate them to finish off the regular season strong.  Remember, this is a team still fighting for a tournament spot.

[oldknight]

Guys, sorry my posts are not all warm and fuzzy.  Its good to shake things up...everything is so comfrotable here. 

Good response and I'm glad to hear that you're "comfrotable." 

[RastaRob]

In reply to mustywetdog, give it a rest. It is so funny to me how often people want to blame coaches for losses. Obviously coaching has a lot to do with the game, but last I checked coaches never turnover the ball. They never miss shots. They never forget to box out or forget to play help-side Defense. The reality is that in the Hope-Calvin Game GVW and KVS used the same strategy near the end. They put their players in position to make plays. Calvin did and Hope didnt. That's why you play the games. Taht is also the beauty of basketball. It is rare that one team is consistently 20 points better than another team. Teams will come to play differently on different days. Hope will have to learn from this one and I still think they will be fine. The only reason peopel are so upset is because it was Calvin. Honestly, losing at Calvin by one point is not worse than losing by 18 at Albion. No one complained nearly as much about that team that showed up that Saturday in Kresge. I was at both games and I have seen Hope play a lot this year. They are really deep and talented and they will bounce back like a good team does. Of course I was hoping for an MIAA Cahmpionship, but if at the end of March they have a National Championship instead I dont think I will be too dissapointed.

[John Rusnak]

Does anybody on this board ever leave their computer?

Anyway, with Fulse being out for Albion, it looks like the stage is set for a Hope/Calvin MIAA classic in the tournament.  Sure, Albion might put up a good fight, but given their struggles of late, it's hard to see them making it to the finish line this year.

As for betting lines, I would have to believe that if this were real life, there would be so much money on the Hope side, the line would push higher and higher and would probably have to end up in the 21-23 point range before money really started moving to the other side to balance things out.

[kakaty]

Since nobody, and by nobody Kakaty is pretty sure he actually means nobody, could break away from the Calvin-Hope talk to congratulate Brad Brinkman of Kalamazoo for being named to the Academic All-District IV First Team, Kakaty wants to give everybody one more opportunity to do so.  Congratulations, Brad!

Congratulations also to the Hornets for getting a big win on Wednesday night, giving them a chance to host a first rounder - also against Tri-State most likely, as it appears these two teams will be locked in to the 4/5 spots.  Of the two teams, TSU still has the inside track to the fourth place finish.  Kalamazoo will need to win at Olivet and then either knock off the Brits on Saturday, or Calvin at Knollcrest next Saturday, to get it done.  Not easy, by any means - of course, the Hornets were picked by the "knowledgeable" MIAA coaches to finish last, so they're certainly capable of surprising.

As for Kakaty's take on the Hope-Calvin classic finish, Kakaty:  

(1)  Can't recall *any* Hope-Calvin game with a final margin of less than 10 points that, in the days following the game, wasn't referred to breathlessly on this board as "one of the greatest games in this storied rivalry" or some variation on that theme.  Much like Dick Vitale, who in the weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament predicts about 110 teams to make his "field of 65", if we actually put together the "5 greatest games" in the Hope-Calvin rivalry, we would have a list of about 40, give or take 10.  

(2)  Thinks that it's tough to criticize GVW for his coaching *too* much, because it's pretty hard to look at his career record and not be impressed.  Recruiting success is a facet of college coaching, so if people other than Kakaty want to criticize GVW for his coaching, they need to recognize that he's been able to put together some pretty impressive collections of talent.  (Kakaty might criticize GVW's willingness to recruit way more kids than he actually needs - knowing that many of them, who come to Hope believing they are going to be playing college basketball, will never don a Hope uniform - but that's a different story altogether).

(3)  Thinks it is fair, with that being said, to point out that, like Sac, Kakaty can't remember any of these classic games which Hope has *won* in thrilling fashion at the end - and Kakaty thinks that might also reflect on GVW's in-game strategic ability.  Kakaty does not feel that close, late-game situations are GVW's strength.

[kresgekrazy]

Some kids told me about this website with Random Chuck Norris "Facts"

You all should really check it out - unbelievably funny.

Here's some examples

Random Chuck Facts
- Chuck Norris doesn't sleep, he waits.

- The boogey man looks under his own bed for Chuck Norris.

- Chuck Norris died years ago, but the Grim Reaper doesn't have the courage to tell him.

[realist]

Oldknight:  You are right about the guy named "Memphis" , and yes, he was a strong Wooster supporter.  He in fact was in the fieldhouse the night the Knights disassembled his team in the 00 tourney.  He was a rather young fellow, and if memory serves correct was just starting law school.  Not so sure he is "Collinge".
"Memphis" was a creditable poster, but let's not make him out to be some sort of saint.  In 00 he would have bet a fair amount of money that Calvin was way over-rated.

[albionbritfan]

Kakaty's post reminds me of albionbritfan's favorite Seinfeld episode.  Does Kakaty like spicy chicken?

[oldknight]

Oldknight:  You are right about the guy named "Memphis" , and yes, he was a strong Wooster supporter.  He in fact was in the fieldhouse the night the Knights disassembled his team in the 00 tourney.  He was a rather young fellow, and if memory serves correct was just starting law school.  Not so sure he is "Collinge".
"Memphis" was a creditable poster, but let's not make him out to be some sort of saint.  In 00 he would have bet a fair amount of money that Calvin was way over-rated.

Yeah, but to his credit, he quickly changed his tune after witnessing the dismantlement first hand. Repentence is, after all, a prerequisite for sainthood.

[albionbritfan]

Allfirst,
I don't think Fulse being out impacts Albion's stake in the horserace either way.  Sure he'd be great from a depth standpoint, but he's played so little this year (8 games averaging 13 minutes per) that frankly what you have seen from Albion through the season is what you get for the rest of it.  He didn't play when Albion beat Hope and he didn't play when Albion led Calvin for most of the game only to lose by three.

Albion's fortune is tied to solid defense and good outside shooting.

[Civic Minded]

You guys are really funny today -- Seinfeld, Chuck Norris, Albion out of it, Kzoo beating Calvin or Albion -- hey, maybe it just means that this Hope fan is getting a sense of humor back!   

(Now, don't get me wrong about Kzoo -- by all means, if you can, beat the tar out of both of them.  I'm just sayin'....)

[kakaty]

You guys are really funny today -- Seinfeld, Chuck Norris, Albion out of it, Kzoo beating Calvin or Albion -- hey, maybe it just means that this Hope fan is getting a sense of humor back!   

(Now, don't get me wrong about Kzoo -- by all means, if you can, beat the tar out of both of them.  I'm just sayin'....)

Kakaty understands that it will be a surprise for Kalamazoo to win either of those games.  Of course, if Kakaty had told you two weeks ago that Tri-State would beat Albion, you probably would have laughed, too - and Kakaty probably would have laughed with you. 

Didn't Kalamazoo lose at Kresge by only 6?  It wouldn't exactly be a complete shock for them to win tomorrow.  At least that's what Kakaty thinks.

[John Rusnak]

Depth becomes very important late in the year, especially when the tournaments start rolling along.

With that said, if they can keep bouncing from their double loss, they have enough experience on that team to make a strong run.  The problem is that in general, they are weakening as the season goes along, while Hope and Calvin are getting stronger.

Momentum is a tough obstacle to overcome.

[kresgekrazy]

Chuck Norris traveled back in time to stop the JFK assassination. 
He stopped three bullets with his beard, but JFK died anyway when his head exploded from amazement.

WOW

Go Brits!!!!